Babysitting Duty
by Nana Evans
Summary: Tom and B'Elanna talk about family while babysitting the Borg baby. Set sometime between "Collective" and "Unimatrix Zero"


**Author's Notes:** In the episode "Lineage", B'Elanna says they knew they wanted a family, but we never see any of them talking about it, so I wondered when they had discussed this. This story is my idea of how it might had happened. It's cannon based set some time between "Collective" and "Unimatrix Zero". This is also my first Trek fanfic, and this is _not_ in my mother language, so be kind and if the spelling is wrong or something doesn't make sense, do me the favor of pointing it out and I'll try to correct it.

Enjoy!

Babysit Duty

-She's cute, isn't she?

B'Elanna turned to face the owner of the voice looking like a kid caught with her hands on the cookie jar. Standing right behind her was Tom. He had a teasing grin and an amused look on his face.

B'Elanna knew there was no way to escape it, she was caught and he would tease her about it for the rest of her life. So she might as well go along with it.

-Cuter than most people on this ship. Definitely cuter than the pilots.

He laughed and slipped his arms around her waist to give her a hug and kiss her brow.

-What are you doing here? I thought you had a double shift on sickbay.

-Yep, I have. My assignment today is to take care o her. Apparently there was no one else available. - He then pulled back from her and eyed her curiously- Now, what are _you_ doing in Ensign Jones quarters?

-She asked me to keep one eye on Rose until the babysitter comes. I had nothing else to do and you were still on duty, so… - B'Elanna was looking at her boots and, to Tom's infinite amusement, blushing.

-So you volunteered.

-Yes. But now that you're here, I'll just…

-You could help me. – Tom cut her before she could get away, tightening his arms around her just a bit, just to make sure she wouldn't. She looked at him with a disbelieving look so he continued.- I know you got nothing else to do. Engineering is running at peak efficiency and you don't have any reports to turn in tomorrow. And the last time we got off duty together was three days ago, a miracle that will only repeat itself in four more days.

-I don't know, Tom, I do have an early shift tomorrow…

-Oh, come on, 'Lanna. It's just a baby! And besides – he leaned in to whisper in her ear – I do really miss you.

He kissed her tenderly and B'Elanna gave in. If all she needed to do to spend some time with Tom was to keep an eye on a sleeping baby, then she would do it. Besides, Rose was a really good baby… She separated herself from Tom and gave him a pat on the chest.

-Alright then, I'll help you. – He flashed her with his super-nova grin that never failed to make her smile. – But I have one condition.

He lifted an eyebrow but kept smiling. – What?

-You're the one responsible for feeding and diaper duty.

They took Rose and her things (seriously, how something so small could possibly need so many things?) back to Tom's quarters. After putting her on the bed with lots of pillows to make sure she wouldn't fall, they sat down to have dinner, watch some TV and simply enjoy each other's company. When they finally cuddled up together on the couch, B'Elanna sighted contently. She could get used to this.

-Penny for your thoughts. – Tom said smiling at her.

-It's nothing. I'm just… glad you convince me to come.

-So you like baby-sitting with me? - Tom asked her with a sly smile on his face.

-Don't get any bright ideas, flyboy. – She turned to him with a little frown on her face. – I'm _not_ going to help you babysit Naomi and all those Borg kids.

-Hey, come on now. It's not their fault that they were Borg.

-It's not the Borg part I have a problem with. Do you have any idea how long it took to take all that paint of my hair?

Tom shook his head laughing. He had convinced her to play paintball with him and the kids on the holodeck a little more than a week ago. It was a lot of fun and he could clearly remember the smile on B'Elanna's face when the girls team had finally manage to catch the flag. She was good with the kids and he had hoped they could do it again some other day… Now if only he could've remembered to tell her the paint was the real thing before…

-Don't laugh so loud. – She demanded pinching his thigh. – You're going to wake Rose up.

-Ok, ok, I'll stop. – He watched her rising from the couch to check on the baby. It never failed to amaze him how motherly B'Elanna could be some times. He had told her so, but she didn't believe him. Well, he could always try again…

-You're pretty good at this, you know.

-Pretty good at what?

-Babysitting. The kids like you. They're always in their best behavior when you're around.

B'Elanna snorted. – Yeah, right. They probably just too scared of me to do anything when I'm around.

-You don't give yourself enough credit. I know for one thing that Naomi thinks "Lt. B'Elanna is pretty cool". You know, she really looks up at you.

B'Elanna sat beside him with crossed arms and a dubious look on her face. – She does?

-Think about it, Lanna. You're half-human, like she is, and you're beautiful, intelligent, respected by everyone, including the Captain… Actually, I think the Captain is he only one above you on her list of personal heroes.

He said that looking straight at her eyes and she knew he meant every word. She cursed the blush that crept over her cheeks. She hated when he did that to her… At least that was what she always told herself.

-You're pretty good with them, too. – She said to take his attention off herself. – They like you.

-Of curse they do. I'm the funny uncle!- He chuckled, but then his face grew serious. – I like them too. And playing with them reminds me of the few times I played with my Dad.

They both got silent, each one lost in their own thoughts: Tom thinking about his relationship with his father and B'Elanna remembering those early years of her life when she still had one. And they were rudely brought back to reality by Rose's crying.

-I'll get her.- Tom said already getting up from the couch.

B'Elanna watched while he changed Rose's diaper, talking and making funny faces all the while. He came back to the room with the babbling baby and a bottle and reclaimed his sit next to her.

-I think she'll start talking soon.- He said when Rose started to hungrily suck on the bottle.

-Already? How old is she? She doesn't even have teeth!

-There are two starting to show up and the Doc guesses she's four or five months old. But we don't know much about her species. She might be running and talking all over the ship way before she's one year old.

-That's true.- B'Elanna got closer and gave a finger for Rose to hold. – I think we'll have to take those Jeffreys Tubes lockers out of the cargo bay.

-You really think that's necessary? Naomi's never even tried to open one of those.

-It doesn't hurt to be cautious. And I used to crawl through any available opening when I was little. – She said with a little smile. -We had to lock up the whole house or I would run away to the yard.

-So I think we'd better save those lockers for ourselves. I used to do the same thing, drove my mom crazy trying to climb the trees on our back yard. –Tom said chuckling with the memory.

B'Elanna laughed trying to imagine little Tom trying to climb a tree, but suddenly grew serious when the implication of what Tom had said finally sunk in. She didn't say a word while Tom got up to put the empty bottle on the table and the baby on a make-shift playpen on the floor. Only when he sat back and gave her a curious look she quietly spoke again, her eyes fixed on the baby on the floor.

-Tom, do you want kids?

He looked at her a little stunned over the question. They had never talked about it, although he could see from where the question had came from. He knew he wanted kids, he just didn't know if tht was the answer she wanted to hear.

-Tom?

-Yes, I do. – He waited for a few moments for a reply of some kind, but it never came. – Do you want kids, B'Elanna?

He had to wait another few moments for B'Elanna to look at him in the eye and answer.

-I… I've never thought about it. I guess not having a family kept me from thinking about it.- She turned her eyes again to Rose, who was happily chewing on a stuffed Floter doll.- They're so helpless, how could I take care of something like that?

-The same way you take care of everything, giving your best. I would be willing to bet you would be pretty good at it.- He pulled her closer to him and kissed her brow.- And I've already told you that.

B'Elanna sighted and snuggled a little closer to him – But anyway, I'll probably never have any kid. Hybrid genes and all that. Chances are I'll never get pregnant.- She said, her voice sad and barely more than a whisper.

-Oh.- Tom felt like slapping himself, his medic training coming back to him. Her hybrid genes would make conception really difficult for her, doesn't matter the species of the father-to-be. It would be hard, but still possible. –Well, it's not impossible. I mean, you are able to get pregnant; it will be just a little bit harder.

-A little bit harder?- She turned at him with a look between indignant and incredulous. – Tom, the odds are one in a million.

He grinned wickedly at her, his eyes sparkling with mischief. – Well then, we'll just have to try for a million times.

-I know you wouldn't mind that!- She said laughing and his grin grew seeing the sadness leaving her face.

-Well, I've never heard you complaining either…- He pulled her to his lap and kissed her until they both were breathless.- Maybe we should start now, you know, we have a _long_ way to go…

They stared at each other with matching grins, Tom tugging at her jacket while was B'Elanna absently running her nails at the nape of his neck, both prelude to activities that made deck nine, section twelve a rather famous place in the ship's rumor mill. The perfect way to end the day, in B'Elanna's not so humble opinion.

Or it would be, if not for a tiny infant with a rather powerful set of lungs.

-Well, maybe _now_ would not be the best time…- He said while B'Elanna slid of his lap to check on Rose.- But we can always try it latter.

-I'll hold you to that, flyboy.

He smiled watching B'Elanna soothing the baby. He really hoped she would.

_Fim_

Comments, especially of the constructive kind, are always welcome.


End file.
